A Comic Tale
by Seylin
Summary: Drabble. Alec has a extra pass to a comic con, will he have the courage to ask Magnus? AU. Slash.


**Fandom**: The Mortal Instruments  
**Pairing**: Magnus/Alec  
**Prompt**: Comic Con AU  
**Note**: So…I've never been to a comic con so I tweeked the prompt a bit.  
**Dedication**: Oquinn53 (Tumblr)

Alec slowly opened the door to the house he shared with his family. He glanced around wearily, slipping inside and closing the door back soundlessly. Carefully but quickly, Alec made his way up to his room, holding the thing, brown paper bag against his chest. Closing the door behind himself, Alec allowed himself to relax. He had made it.

Stepping away from the door, Alec allowed himself to grin. He dropped down onto his bed and slowly slid the paper bag off the item inside. The cover of _Detective Comics #140_, the first appearance of The Riddler, was pristine in its plastic cover. He had saved for over a year to be able to afford this comic and now it was his!

* * *

Alec was just debating whether or not if he should take the comic out of the plastic to read it when his door flew open. He shoved the comic under his pillow just as his sister jumped onto his bed. "Isabelle! Don't you know to knock when a door is closed?"

"Psh, you never do anything interesting in here anyway. Besides, look what I have!" Isabelle waved three yellow, laminated, square papers under his nose.

Alec rolled his eyes and grabbed them, pulling the pieces back to read. His eyes widened. "H-How did you get these?"

"Simon," Isabelle replied with a grin. "He kept his but that is mine and yours and one extra."

"Mine? But I can't pay for this."

Isabelle waved a hand. "You have a birthday coming up, you can thank me later."

"So who gets the other one? You know Jace isn't into this and while Max is…it would just be a babysitting gig." Alec didn't mind watching his little brother, he was actually pretty cool, but the NYC-CC would be a mad house…maybe not as bad as San Diego…Alec swallowed hard. He hated large crowds.

"Whoever you want," Isabelle answered. "Call that your Christmas present." Her hand slid under his pillow. "What's this?"

"Isabelle!"

She started laughing. "I didn't know you still collected comics! Do you have more? Where?"

"Give me that!" He jerked the comic from her hand and she took back her pass. Alec worriedly checked the plastic cover, hoping his sister hadn't damaged it.

"Hey, I was only teasing, everyone has to have a passion. Look at Simon and Star Wars. How much did that one cost? It looks old," she commented.

"Um…"

"I don't know how much 'um' is but I'm guessing if mom and dad found out they would blow a fuse."

"Probably."

Isabelle snorted. "Maybe you should invite that cute comic store owner," she said as she stood, walking out of his room before he could reply.

Alec stared after her, his mouth hanging open. How did she always know? Isabelle knew him better than he knew himself sometimes. Alec glanced over at the cork board above his desk. He had one of the business cards for the comic shop he always went to pinned up there. _Warlock Comics_. Magnus Bane was the owner and he was…well, words truly could not describe Magnus. Would he want to go to the convention? Alec raked a hand through his hair. Would he have the courage to ask or even go himself? **-x-**

The bell over the door jingled as Alec pushed it open. Three days had gone by since Isabelle had presented him with the passes for the comic con and he had finally worked up the courage to come back to the comic shop…asking Magnus, well, he'd see how that went when he got there.

Habit died hard and Alec found himself wondering over to the older comics that Magnus kept. New comics were cool and all but the older ones were what interested him the most. There seemed to be more…passion in them.

"Well, well, well, Alec! I didn't expect you back for a good long while!"

Alec turned around quickly, bumping into a stand, some of the action figure boxes falling to the floor. "Sorry," he mumbled bending to pick them up.

Magnus chuckled as he set the box he was carrying on the counter. "Clumsy as ever. What brings you back? Surely you don't have money for another comic so soon; if you do I want to know how." He pushed the glasses that had slipped down his nose back up.

With the last action figure put back on the shelf, Alec turned. He looked at Magnus and immediately a blush appeared on his cheeks. Magnus always looked so sexy when he wore glasses…today he had chosen a bright blue pair that matched the blue streaks in his spiked hair. The thin frames accented the cat eye contacts he had chosen to wear.

"Um, no, I won't have money for a new comic…like you said, for a while. I just thought I'd…uh…stop by and see if you—y'know, had anything new."

"It's your lucky day; I just got this order off the truck." Magnus held the exacto-knife out to him. "You want to do the honors?"

Alec's eyes widened and he took the knife. He knew how careful Magnus was about his comics; to be allowed to open a box showed a great amount of trust. Carefully he ran the knife's point along the tape keeping the box sealed. As the tape came free, Alec pulled the flaps back and his eyes widened. "You can't be serious…is that…?"

Magnus smiled widely as he pulled the plastic covered comic from the box. "_Tales of Suspense #39_, the origin comic for Iron Man."

"How do you get these?" Alec asked in awe.

"I know a guy," Magnus replied with a wink. "Should I put your name on this one?"

Alec winced. "How much?"

"It's worth $650 but I might cut you a deal…"

"Yeah?"

"What'cha got?" Magnus questioned.

Alec racked his brain, he wouldn't have that kind of money for months… then he remembered. Reaching into his pocket he pulled out the yellow comic con pass. "I have this pass for NYC-CC…" The pass was taken out of his hand faster that he could finish his sentence.

"I've been on the waiting this for one of these for months! I got the email this morning that they were sold out! How did you get one?!"

"My sister? Well, my sister's boyfriend really…" He had rarely seen Magnus so happy. "Beautiful," he whispered.

"Beautiful? What?" Magnus questioned.

Alec's face lit up and he turned away quickly heading for the door. "I gotta go," he said quickly.

The bell over the door had jingled and Alec was gone before Magnus could blink or realize that he was still holding the comic con pass. Magnus grinned and shook his head as he flipped the pass one way and then the other. "He'll be back," he said to the empty store.


End file.
